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Standing before the gate, Untir studies it briefly, then pulls out a couple of wands to get himself ready. The first raises his awareness and he does so with no problem. The second one, to increase his speed, takes a while but it gets it eventually.
He then approaches Amun. "As our lead fighter, it would be beneficial for the party for you to have better protection." Laying his hand gently on the monk, he calls his spirits through Da'e for aid, and Amun's skin hardens to that of thick bark.
Finally, he approaches Tuthil from behind, and similarly calls on his spirits to give him aid.
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The struggle to open the gates is real, but perhaps it is also seen as a relief to know that likely you've arrive ahead of your rivals. After a couple push and pulls, Tuthil finally manages to push open slowly the rusted iron gates revealing an archway into a large courtyard. The archway’s ceiling contains a recessed inscription in Ancient Orisiani that has avoided the worst of millennia of erosion.
The wind gusts about this small courtyard, filling the air with fine grit. Corpses litter the area, little more than bone and desiccated, leathery skin. A dry well occupies the center, surrounded by the remnants of an outdoor market, though even the best tent is tattered and leans precariously. To the east, a set of low steps rise to a set of stone doors surrounded by symmetrical wall carvings of pharaohs. Stairs to the south ascend to the outer wall, above the archway.
Whirling sands in the courtyard make it difficult to see anything, but you can vaguely make out the outlines of everything. To your surprise, some of the liveless bodies begin to animate, and make loud groaning noises!
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"Good. We got here before the snakes. Tuthil, do you think you can close it again? It could delay whoever is behind us. And at the very least, when they attempt to open it, it would create enough of a racket to warn us."
Untir enters cautiously with the rest. "Look," he says, pointing up to the archway. "It is in Ancient Osiriani. Something about welcoming travelers and offering them safety from the winds. Wait..." He studies it a bit more. "Some chips and scratches there. Accidental? It now says to offer safety from the winds of time. Hmm..."
The sudden movement catches his eye. "Beware!"
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Whirling sands in the courtyard make it difficult to see anything, but you can vaguely make out the outlines of everything. I.e. concealment for anything beyond 10ft. To your surprise, some of the liveless bodies begin to animate, and make loud groaning noises!
I agree to give Ancient languages lessons, but perhaps later, as we have more pressing matters at hand: we might be attacked by these rotting corpses.
says Lebraerio as matter-of-factly as possible.
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And Lebraerio is not wrong as the bodies stand tall making their way towards you. Additionally, a foul stench burdens your senses.
An oddly muscular built zombie(?) makes it way to Tuthil and attacks without prejudice! The filth poison from the creature attempts to make it's way in the dwarf's bloodstream.
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Untir immediately releases a wave of positive energy that obliterates one of the zombies and injures heavily the second. Untir gets to see first hand the plague zombies special attack. Upon death, it explodes in a burst of decay. All creatures adjacent to the plague zombie are exposed to its plague. Not to mention their attacks are infected as well.
Lebraerio recongizes the creature up at Tuthil's face as a creature made of magic rather than death, a Carrion golem. Amun takes a step and attempts to pummel at it. But only his first punch gets through the creatures thick skin.
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Robyyn turns his attention to the carrion golem. As his hand slips into a small pouch at his side, withdrawing a small clump of wiry black hair, he begins a small chant, extoling the fates to doom this golem. He swings his hand in the direction of the golem, releasing the hairs, which fly across and begin swirling around the construct's head.
You afflict the target with bad luck. On the next d20 roll the target makes, it must roll twice and take the less favorable result. For every five caster levels you have, the target must roll twice on an additional d20 roll (to a maximum of five rolls at 20th level).
A target who can speak and has at least one free hand and who is aware of the spell and its effects (such as from a Spellcraft check to identify the spell as it is cast) can negate one reroll by spending a move action to utter a brief prayer or good luck charm to appease the spirits of ill fortune.
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What kind of action is it for an alchemist to use an extract, mutagen, or throw a bomb?
It is a standard action to use an extract, mutagen, or throw a bomb. This action includes retrieving the necessary materials from the alchemist's supplies, in the same manner as retrieving a material component is included in the act of spellcasting.
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Hoprah gags at the stench of these foul creatures but is able to fight on.
However, the smell momentarily clouds her mind and she is unable to remember anything she might once have known about what they might be.
She steps forward 5' and sends a cone of fire towards the Carrion Golem, carefully avoiding her comrades.
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Tuthil avoids gagging on the stench of the dead, and he has a pretty good idea what the odd looking zombie is as it slams him with it's diseased ridden body luckly dwarf blood is hard to infect.
shifting over 5ft, Tuthil calls upon the power of Iomedae to blast the zombie with positive energy cast Disrupt Undead {link}
to hit touch
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Most of the group hold their act together overcoming the foul stench, with the expection of Lebraerio who takes a little bit more time to get used to it.
Robyyn puts an ill omen on the golem while Hoprah immediately follows up with releasing a stream of fire from her palm. The fire burns the creature, but additionally affects it in a funny way. He moves a little slower than he normally would.
Tuthil steps aside, and channels his divine powers first to the weakened undead. His spell is super effective and causes the remaining zombie to explode with disease as well. Luckily no one was in the area.
The Carrion golem focuses it's efforts on Amun, but moving ever so slowly, Amun steps away from the swing.
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Robyyn steps forward, closer to Tuthil, where he grants the dwarf guidance. "May the fates twist ever slightly in your favor."
This spell imbues the subject with a touch of divine guidance. The creature gets a +1 competence bonus on a single attack roll, saving throw, or skill check. It must choose to use the bonus before making the roll to which it applies.
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With the creature hindered by fire, Robyyn turns his attention to Tuthil and provides him with a bit of guidance.
Untir calls upon his spirits to further cause a hindrance on the undead-looking construct but the creature completely ignores the wisps.
However, the wisp serves as a good distraction as Hoprah continues to burn the creature further with her burning hands spell. He continues to move slowly as a result. He looks somewhat injured but is still a ways before he falls.
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The sheer ugliness of the creature puts Tuthil off his game, his sword swings but goes right above the slow creatures head. Amun doesn't relent and continues pressing on his fist of flurries! And he connects well deliver some good blows.
Lebraerio takes a sip of his extract after recovering from the really bad smells.
The creature surprisingly still stands after taking a huge beating but continues to be ineffective in swinging around it's slow arms. Age has definitely got the better of it.
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"Curses!" Untir mutters under his breath when the hex fails to take hold. It is time to take out the big guns.
Untir calls his spirits back within him, but only for a moment. After some deep chanting, he gestures to the ground beneath the walking flesh monster. Directed by him, his spirits dive in and almost instantaneously, two ghostly chains burst out, wrap around the creature's leg and attempt to yank it off its feet!
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The sticky substance is catches the carrion golem in his feet, pinning it to the ground. In his confusion, Tuthil takes the opportunity to deliver a good strong blow that cuts the creature away. Causing it to fall to a state of lifelessness. And with that, the group sighs in relief that the threat is over.
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Following Amun's suggestion, you head inside a modest brick building that just lays outside the main doors into the ruins. What lies inside looks to be what is left over of stables and storage space. The larger room, which you've concluded to be a stable, and perhaps a good place to store the camels has seen age wear it down. Only the stone has survived intact, with empty sockets for lanterns at even intervals. Ancient tools for leatherworking sit on a table to the south, next to an empty stone trough. Barren stalls line the north wall.
The store-room, perhaps once served as a smithy but looks to be nothing but a place to hold junk. The chimney that rises from the small forge in the southwest corner is clogged with grit from centuries of storms, and the smith’s tools lie nearby under a thick layer of dust. The south door is cracked in places, and scattered crates are all that remain of a barricade erected. Most of the contents of this room are spoiled and worthless, though you are able to find two sealed vessels full of salt crystals. One contains an application of silver weapon blanch, and the other contains one measure of ghost salt.
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Lebraerio explains the uses of the silver weapon blanch and the ghost salt.
You have to use a strong source of heat, like a torch, to blend the sliver blanch on your weapon, so you have to get it ready before use. Then, the blanch goes away at the first strike. So maybe it's better to use it on a spare weapon. It can be used on the head of arrows and bolts too, not just on axes or swords.